Written Answers

Friday 28 July 2000

Scottish Executive

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it will make to the report, An Archival Account of Scotland , by the Archive Services in Scotland Mapping Project Board.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has taken note of the report, An Archival Account of Scotland . The summary of responses to the consultation paper on freedom of information, An Open Scotland,  published in May, noted that Scottish public authorities would be encouraged to operate efficient records management practices and that the possibility of national archives legislation would receive separate consideration.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take concerning any lack of resources for the preservation and access of archives as highlighted in the report An Archival Account of Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: The National Archives of Scotland itself is appropriately funded. The Scottish Executive has made available additional resources to allow the National Archives of Scotland to fulfil the extended responsibilities that fall to it under the new constitutional arrangements, and for refurbishment work on General Register House.

  Archives at a local level are a local responsibility.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications would be for communities’ awareness of their local history and for cultural heritage, democratic accountability and freedom of information of any lack of resources for archives.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive fully recognises the importance of archives for all these purposes and will do all it can within available resources to encourage local councils and other public bodies to meet their responsibilities in this area.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will expedite the preparation of an Archives Bill to establish a responsibility on public bodies to preserve and manage their records and to enshrine the rights of individuals to access archives and records of their community.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has received valuable recommendations from the Scottish Records Advisory Council for modern archives legislation, though it has not yet been possible to allocate a place for an Archives Bill in the legislative timetable in view of the level of pressure from competing legislation.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recognition it gives to the contribution made by national and local archives repositories to lifelong learning through the provision of source material for the study and teaching of family and community history and for responding to the range of personal and community interests.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of archives to lifelong learning and to community interests in general. The National Archives of Scotland is fully funded by government, and in addition to providing a public service, and to mounting exhibitions and publishing booklets of various kinds, it offers a wide variety of source material for history teachers, and advice and suggestions to the Scottish Consultative Committee on the Curriculum.

  The Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, sections 53 and 54, places archival responsibility at local level on local councils, and obliges them to submit their plans for managing their records to the Keeper of the Records of Scotland for his approval. The Keeper has issued general guidance to councils and commented on local services. Many local archives are able to provide at least some support to lifelong learning through publications and exhibitions, but such activities are limited by available funding.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine ways of supporting archivists in continuing the acquisition and preservation of archives and in widening the use of archives in all sectors of the community.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive will continue to support the work of the National Archives of Scotland and to encourage local councils and other public bodies to make proper arrangements for their records.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any lack of professional training for archivists or conservators and, if so, how it intends to address the situation.

Mr Jim Wallace: Conservation and archive courses are available in England, Ireland and Wales. A distance learning course is also provided by the Society of Archivists.

  The Keeper of the Records of Scotland is currently involved in a joint investigation with Glasgow University of the viability of an archive training course in Scotland tailored to Scottish needs.

Archives

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any shortage of professional archives and conservation staff and, if so, how it intends to address the situation.

Mr Jim Wallace: It has not on the whole been difficult to fill the archivist and conservator posts that have been advertised. The Scottish Executive expects that the obligations likely to be imposed on public bodies by forthcoming Freedom of Information legislation will encourage the recruitment of the additional qualified staff necessary to meet them.

Europe

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the position is regarding implementation of EC Directive 97/52 relating to public contracts.

Mr Jack McConnell: This particular directive, which predates devolution, makes relatively minor technical amendments to existing directives on public procurement which have already been given effect in UK law. Separate implementation for Scotland would simply create two sets of amendments to existing UK Regulations. This would cause unwarranted complications for those wishing to interpret the legislation and, given that there is no particular Scottish dimension here, I have agreed that the implementation should be on a UK basis. A copy of the implementing Regulations, which have been laid before the UK Parliament, will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Finance

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the Development Department budget was in 1999-2000.

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the education and industry budget was in 1999-2000.

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the health budget was in 1999-2000.

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the justice budget was in 1999-2000.

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the administration budget was in 1999-2000.

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the General Register Office Budget was in 1999-2000.

Mr Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have obtained anti-social behaviour orders over the last two years.

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications local authorities made for anti-social behaviour orders in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000.

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders were granted in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. However, last year the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to investigate the use which landlords were making of the provisions for evictions on the grounds of anti-social behaviour contained in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Institute’s research found that in the period 1 April 1999 to 1 December 1999, 15 anti-social behaviour orders had been applied for and nine granted as follows:

  City of Dundee (3);

  City of Edinburgh (3);

  Fife (1);

  Perth & Kinross (2).

  I am arranging for a copy of the Institute’s research report to be placed in the Parliament’s Information Centre.

Justice

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the issue of privilege in relation to remarks made in the conduct of criminal trials, in particular following the delivery of a verdict by a Sheriff or Judge in the High Court Judiciary, where such remarks were made in respect of the credibility of a person who had not given evidence.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are no plans to take any action in relation to this area of judicial independence.

Justice

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prevent English football hooligans travelling abroad from Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: We are in discussion with the Home Office about measures that may be needed to ensure that the legislation planned for England and Wales is effective in Scotland. We have no plans for legislation in Scotland.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the next scheduled meeting of the EU Council of Ministers on justice and home affairs is due to take place and whether the Minister for Justice will attend as part of the UK delegation.

Mr Jim Wallace: There will be an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers on justice and home affairs on 28 and 29 July. I do not propose to attend.

Law

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all companies trading in Scotland do not impose in any terms of contract the law of England as the law governing that contract; whether it is aware that BT Yellow Pages uses the law of England for its directories covering Scotland and what representations it will make to British Telecommunications Plc on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: The question of which law applies to a contract is regulated by the Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990 applying the Rome Convention on the same subject and the Scottish Executive has no locus to impose any particular system of law on British Telecommunications PLC or on any other company trading in Scotland.

Non-Domestic Rates

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total income, in cash and real terms, from non-domestic rates in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each local authority area (i) has been in each year since its inception and (ii) is expected to be in the current financial year and in all future years for which projections are available.

Mr Jack McConnell: The amounts of non-domestic rate income collected by local authorities for years 1996-97 (the first year following local government reorganisation) to 1998-99 are shown in both cash and real terms in the following table.

  


Cash Terms  



 

1996-97 


1997-98 


1998-99 




Aberdeen City 


86,909,230 


92,077,265 


101,318,328 




Aberdeenshire 


44,835,817 


45,794,645 


49,466,288 




Angus 


17,881,385 


17,667,960 


19,568,920 




Argyll & Bute 


24,905,858 


23,925,238 


28,299,338 




Clackmannanshire 


10,409,625 


10,604,813 


10,495,047 




Dumfries & Galloway 


27,831,687 


31,037,389 


31,789,211 




Dundee City 


39,584,602 


39,377,604 


42,071,071 




East Ayrshire 


16,508,548 


20,644,896 


21,876,160 




East Dunbartonshire  


14,695,817 


14,936,428 


14,797,539 




East Lothian 


24,079,491 


24,224,075 


24,911,565 




East Renfrewshire 


9,699,357 


8,102,884 


10,126,348 




Edinburgh, City of 


169,526,631 


179,348,233 


186,151,389 




Eilean Siar 


4,482,845 


4,636,830 


4,632,944 




Falkirk 


45,196,145 


41,533,242 


44,466,106 




Fife 


99,952,162 


93,983,725 


101,297,014 




Glasgow City 


219,409,650 


203,939,379 


231,326,059 




Highland 


51,131,606 


50,237,633 


53,075,991 




Inverclyde* 


14,111,817 


15,684,943 


16,455,511




Midlothian 


11,729,201 


11,998,115 


12,994,938 




Moray 


18,100,377 


19,300,029 


19,672,200 




North Ayrshire 


34,462,286 


35,580,437 


36,854,012 




North Lanarkshire 


63,138,676 


56,933,088 


68,164,545 




Orkney 


5,962,906 


5,639,008 


6,209,691 




Perth & Kinross 


31,684,643 


32,776,628 


32,924,976 




Renfrewshire 


43,513,331 


44,499,634 


46,023,559 




Scottish Borders 


16,299,596 


17,340,330 


18,548,281 




Shetland 


15,915,411 


14,235,802 


12,351,868 




South Ayrshire 


25,664,737 


26,253,041 


28,296,107 




South Lanarkshire 


63,847,135 


57,732,714 


69,496,242 




Stirling 


23,350,956 


23,435,752 


26,955,963 




West Dunbartonshire 


20,572,119 


22,853,790 


22,396,215 




West Lothian 


36,658,220 


40,843,193 


44,096,478 




Scotland 


1,332,051,867 


1,327,178,743 


1,437,645,904




  * Inverclyde’s 1998-99 audited figures not yet available – figures based on most recent estimate of NDR collected

  


At 2000-01 prices 



 

1996-97 


1997-98 


1998-99 




Aberdeen City 


96,459,944 


99,377,240 


106,244,542 




Aberdeenshire 


49,762,958 


49,425,289 


51,871,396 




Angus 


19,846,424 


19,068,693 


20,520,383 




Argyll & Bute 


27,642,837 


25,822,054 


29,675,284 




Clackmannanshire 


11,553,570 


11,445,573 


11,005,328 




Dumfries & Galloway 


30,890,194 


33,498,063 


33,334,839 




Dundee City 


43,934,672 


42,499,499 


44,116,615 




East Ayrshire 


18,322,721 


22,281,643 


22,939,804 




East Dunbartonshire  


16,310,784 


16,120,603 


15,517,012 




East Lothian 


26,725,658 


26,144,583 


26,122,794 




East Renfrewshire 


10,765,248 


8,745,289 


10,618,703 




Edinburgh, City of 


188,156,416 


193,567,135 


195,202,284 




Eilean Siar 


4,975,478 


5,004,442 


4,858,203 




Falkirk 


50,162,884 


44,826,038 


46,628,099 




Fife 


110,936,202 


101,434,846 


106,222,192 




Glasgow City 


243,521,229 


220,107,891 


242,573,399 




Highland 


56,750,610 


54,220,521 


55,656,607 




Inverclyde* 


15,662,607 


16,928,461 


17,255,597




Midlothian 


13,018,158 


12,949,337 


13,626,767 




Moray 


20,089,481 


20,830,154 


20,628,685 




North Ayrshire 


38,249,449 


38,401,289 


39,207,957 




North Lanarkshire 


70,077,173 


61,446,799 


71,478,784 




Orkney 


6,618,187 


6,086,074 


6,511,613 




Perth & Kinross 


35,166,563 


35,375,191 


34,525,826 




Renfrewshire 


48,295,140 


48,027,608 


48,261,278 




Scottish Borders 


18,090,807 


18,715,088 


19,450,120 




Shetland 


17,664,403 


15,364,430 


12,952,430 




South Ayrshire 


28,485,111 


28,334,408 


29,671,896 




South Lanarkshire 


70,863,486 


62,309,820 


72,875,229 




Stirling 


25,917,062 


25,293,761 


28,266,593 




West Dunbartonshire 


22,832,850 


24,665,661 


23,485,145 




West Lothian 


40,686,701 


44,081,281 


46,240,500 




Scotland 


1,478,435,006 


1,432,398,764 


1,507,545,905




  Figures are not yet available for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 collections, but the Scottish Executive estimates total income of around £1,500.613 and £1,550 respectively, for these years.

Police

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers were employed in Scotland, in total and expressed as a full-time equivalent figure, in each year from 1979 to 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: The figures collected centrally are as shown in the table below.

  


As at 31 March: 


Number of Police Officers 




1979 


12,675 




1980 


13,294 




1981 


13,252 




1982 


13,221 




1983 


13,205 




1984 


13,175 




1985 


13,189 




1986 


13,317 




1987 


13,417 




1988 


13,475 




1989 


13,619 




1990 


13,847 




1991 


13,811 




1992 


13,984 




1993 


14,095 




1994 


14,174 




1995 


14,323 




1996 


14,512 (includes 9 part-time) 




1997 


14,789 (includes 61 part-time) 




1998 


14,980 (includes 114 part-time) 




1999 


14,810 (includes 142 part-time) 




2000 


14,699 (includes 186 part-time) 




  Part-time working and job sharing was introduced for police officers from 13 December 1995. The number of officers working part time is not collected as a full-time equivalent figure.

Roads

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7976 by Henry McLeish on 28 June 2000, whether it will detail the total amount of public money spent in building the Bankhead Roundabout and associated road improvements, environmental improvements and advance factory accommodation.

Henry McLeish: The total spend to date for the trunk road elements of the A92 Bankhead Interchange is £5.240 million. The Bankhead Roundabout, associated road improvements and environmental improvements were, in general, aid to economic development and not specific to the Canon development.

  Canon’s Glenrothes facility did not require the use of advance factory accommodation. The land that Canon’s facility is located on was purchased by the company which custom built the facility to meet its needs.

Surveillance

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the annual report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, appointed under section 91(1)(a) of the Police Act 1997, will be laid before the Parliament.

Donald Dewar: A copy of Sir Andrew Leggatt’s annual report for 1999-2000 is being laid before Parliament today in accordance with section 107(3) of the Police Act 1997. After consultation with the Chief Commissioner and Scottish Ministers in accordance with section 107(4) of the Act, the Prime Minister has decided not to publish the confidential annex to the report because it would be prejudicial to the prevention or detection of serious crime.

  This is Sir Andrew’s first annual report and I am grateful to him for the work which has gone into preparing it.

Voluntary Sector

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many licences for on-street can collections were granted and (b) what sum of money was raised in total from such licences in each year since 1990-91 broken down by local authority.

Mr Jim Wallace: This information is not collected centrally.